Dad allegedly stabbed 3yo to death at Riverwood after fight with girlfriend

A father accused of stabbing his toddler son to death fatally attacked the child in a fit of rage after fleeing his Blue Mountains home following a dispute with his girlfriend, police allege.

A father accused of stabbing his toddler son to death fatally attacked the child in a fit of rage after fleeing his Blue Mountains home following a dispute with his girlfriend, police allege.

Nathan Vikatos, 45, was staying at his aunt’s home in Riverwood, in Sydney’s southwest, on Wednesday, when police allege he used a kitchen knife to kill the three-year-old.

The boy’s body was found inside the Washington Ave unit around 4pm, when Vikatos’ aunt arrived home and made the horrific discovery.

Vikatos was still in the unit, suffering knife injuries which police believe he inflicted upon himself after he allegedly killed the little boy in a frenzied attack.

He was taken to St George Hospital where he underwent surgery on Thursday morning and remained in a stable condition under police guard.

Forensic police entering the apartment block where a three-year-old boy was found deceased and a man critical injured in Riverwood. Picture: Adam Yip

A detective leaving the apartment block with evidence bags on Thursday. Picture: Adam Yip

The Daily Telegraph understands Vikatos’ current partner, who is not the child’s mother, contacted police earlier that day claiming he had been violent toward her.

Police went to Vikatos’ Medlow Bath home to speak to him, but he wasn’t there, having taken off to Sydney.

Detectives from the NSW Police Homicide Squad are now piecing together what happened in the hours after he left his home and arrived at Riverwood, where he then allegedly turned on the child.

It’s understood the boy’s mother died from an illness when he was only months old and the child had been raised by Vikatos.

Police on Thursday night said they had not yet formally interviewed Vikatos and were waiting until his condition improved before they could speak to him, but it was likely he would be charged over the fatal stabbing in the next few days.

At the unit complex, distraught residents lay flowers and teddy bears as a tribute to the little boy.

‘It’s very stressful’: Resident Collen Du-Rocher speaking to the media. Picture: Adam Yip

Community Development Officer at the Riverwood Community Centre Bilal Fazli joined eight of his colleagues to lay flowers and a teddy bear.

“We heard the really sad and devastating news about this young boy,” he said.

“Everyone in the community is feeling it.

“It’s a very sad moment. Being such a young child, it’s heartbreaking.”

Neighbour Colleen Du-Rocher said she couldn’t comprehend the incident.

“In my head, I can’t get it. It’s unbelievable,” she said.

“I nearly fell of the veranda when I heard.”

Ms Du-Rocher was home around the time when the boy died, but said she didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary.

“I’m glad I didn’t see it, I couldn’t handle that, it’s very stressful.

“The poor boy.

“l only heard the screams from the family when they arrived,” she said.

“What a horrifying thing, imagine that.”

Relatives were seen arriving at the hospital in the hours after Vikatos was rushed there for treatment.

One woman collapsed and began screaming as she was told what had unfolded.

Nearby resident Amber MacDonald said she was coming home from work when saw police cars and helicopters flying past.

“I was worried to come home,” she said

“It was very scary I felt like I was in America and something really bad was happening.”

“It’s devastating. I thought ‘how can anyone do this to a child?’.

“It brought me to tears. The whole community was devastated,” she said.

Another neighbour, David Chen, said the news had rocked his neighbourhood.

“It’s a close community and to hear about this news is incredibly concerning,” 29-year-old Mr Chen said.

“I have my own child so to hear something like this it’s very unfortunate.”

“I’ve been here six years and this is the first time we’ve had any events like this so we are

all shocked.”

“We didn’t hear anything either, it’s a close knit community so it seems like it was very under the radar.”